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EPLO History

The European Public Law Organization (EPLO) was created as an international organization with headquarters in Athens, Greece, with suitable governance, full international legal personality and status, upon the initiative of the Hellenic Republic, by the "Agreement for the Establishment and Statute of the European Public Law Organization", signed by several powers on 27 October 2004.

The creation of the EPLO became effective on 21 June 2007, upon receipt by the Depositary of notifications by three parties (Hellenic Republic, Republic of Italy and Republic of Cyprus) to the Statute that, the formalities required by the national legislation of such parties, with respect to this Statute, had been accomplished.

The EPLO recognizes the importance of public law and the need to further promote its scientific, research, educational, training, institution building and other dimensions for a better generation of lawyers and democratic institutions worldwide, as well as the promotion of European values through public law throughout the world.

The "Agreement for the Establishment and Statute of the European Public Law Organization" remains open for adhesion by other powers. Fourteen countries have already ratified the International Treaty establishing the EPLO.

The European Public Law Organization is, at the same time, recognized for its various activities by the Hellenic Republic as a Greek national institution. The EPLO may also continue using the title European Public Law Center (EPLC) and does so especially when it opts to act as a Greek institution.

The European Public Law Organization is indeed the continuation of the European Public Law Center (EPLC), which was established in 1995 under the law of the Hellenic Republic as a Greek non-profit institution of international character, aiming to the study and research, pure and applied, as well as to the training in all areas of public law in Europe, including national, comparative and European law.

The EPLO has carried out extensive research activities in the direction of the creation of a European Public Law. It has organized and executed training programs, prepared studies, undertaken consulting activities, participated in international bodies and institutions of similar character and scope of activities. The EPLO aims at promoting the rule of law and democracy in third countries, and has encouraged the study and application of law, democratic institution building, education and training. In over 25 years of activity, the EPLO has been involved in a variety of issues spanning from the interpretation and comparison of legal systems to the proposition of innovative solutions for institution building, education and environmental protection.

The EPLO has been actively present with its projects and activities in Europe, the Mediterranean Countries, the Balkan Area, the Caucasus and Former Soviet States, the Middle East, Central and South Asia, Africa, as well as Latin America and the Small Island Developing States.

The EPLO Board of Directors includes 14 countries (Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Moldova, Georgia, Serbia, Romania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Hungary, Portugal, Bulgaria and Ukraine) as well as 6 Public Authorities (Ministry of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights, Greece, Ministry of Administrative Reconstruction, Greece, Brecko Region, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hellenic Parliament, Greece, Autonomous Trento region, Italian Republic, Municipality of Cascais, Portuguese Republic) and 77 Universities and Institutes around the world.

The EPLO has been granted the Observer Status at:

  • The International Labor Organization (ILO), a UN agency in 2015
  • WIPO- World Intellectual Property Organization, a self-funding agency of the United Nations in 2015 
  • International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2016
  • The General Assembly of the United Nations in 2018
  • the Espoo Convention and SEA Protocol - UNECE

The EPLO was also granted the status of Associate Observer by the Community of Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP) on 17 July 2021.